Isle of Anglesey

Isle of Anglesey's population grew in the 10 years leading up to the latest census. Data from the census also show there were changes in family life, religion and health.

The population reached nearly 70,000

In the 10 years leading up to 2011, the population of Isle of Anglesey increased by 4.4%, from just over 66,800 to 69,800.

The addition of about 2,900 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of Wales (up 5.5% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Isle of Anglesey was home to, on average, 0.7 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was similar to the average across Wales

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across Wales, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Isle of Anglesey

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Isle of Anglesey increased by three years, from 42 to 45 years.

This remote area had a slightly higher average age than Pembrokeshire, a statistically similar local authority area (45 years of age) and the third-highest average age in Wales.

The rise in age was because of an increase of about 2,600 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by about 1,000.

About 15% of people in Isle of Anglesey are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in Wales, Conwy and Isle of Anglesey by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Fall in proportion of Welsh speakers

The proportion of Welsh speakers in Isle of Anglesey fell from 60% to 57% in the 10 years leading up to Census 2011.

There are 141 fewer people living here who spoke Welsh compared with 2001, while the number of people who did not spoke Welsh increased by 2,865.

In nearby Conwy, 27% of people over the age of three could speak some Welsh, down from 29% at the 2001 census. Across Wales, the proportion fell from 21% to 19%.

The proportion of people who could speak Welsh was higher than across Wales

Percentage of people aged three and over that that said they could speak Welsh across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

Fewer homes with children

This area saw Wales' largest fall in the proportion of households with children.

In 2011, just over one in four (25%) households in Isle of Anglesey had at least one dependent child, compared with 29% in 2001. The percentage with no children increased from 61% to 64%.

Vale of Glamorgan saw the next largest fall (from 33% to 30%).

The proportion of households with children was lower than across Wales

Percentage of households that with at least one dependent child across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

Religion in Isle of Anglesey

The number of people in Isle of Anglesey that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 9,100 in 2001 to just under 18,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 14% to 26% of the local population.

The percentage increased by less than the average across Wales (from 19% to 32%).

The number of people in Isle of Anglesey that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 53,000 in 2001 to about 45,000 in 2011 (from 79% to 65%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from about 4,300 to about 5,800 (from 6.5% to 8.3%).

About 260 people (0.3%) said they identified with a religion other than Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism or Sikhism, up from just over 180 in 2001 (0.4%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Isle of Anglesey increased by 12 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Wales, Conwy and Isle of Anglesey by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Isle of Anglesey residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 11% to 6.3% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (79%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 67% in 2001. The percentage of Isle of Anglesey residents that described their health as fair decreased from 22% to 15%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to Conwy (from 12% in 2001 to 7.0% in 2011). Across Wales, the proportion fell from 12% to 7.6%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Isle of Anglesey decreased by 4.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Isle of Anglesey, Conwy and Wales said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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